Prosuper Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Been reading things that some people that matter are rethinking the KC-10 retirement. In my little world we still have to produce 73 KC-135's a year from the PDM line at OCALC Tinker. They come in every 5 years and doing simple math 73 X 5= 365 which means no upcoming retirements soon plus the block 45's upgrades and unscheduled depot level maintenance inputs (UDLM). I won't be surprised if we start pulling some out of AMARC and take return of the 4 Singapore has stopped flying since they bought and now operational with the KC-47. The KC-135 is old but it works. Most jets get fuselage and upper wing reskin when here , that said a engineer told me it more or less zero times the fuselage. Food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Prosuper said: Been reading things that some people that matter are rethinking the KC-10 retirement. In my little world we still have to produce 73 KC-135's a year from the PDM line at OCALC Tinker. They come in every 5 years and doing simple math 73 X 5= 365 which means no upcoming retirements soon plus the block 45's upgrades and unscheduled depot level maintenance inputs (UDLM). I won't be surprised if we start pulling some out of AMARC and take return of the 4 Singapore has stopped flying since they bought and now operational with the KC-47. The KC-135 is old but it works. Most jets get fuselage and upper wing reskin when here , that said a engineer told me it more or less zero times the fuselage. Food for thought. When is block 50 supposed to come online? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazmo Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 This is a discussion for a SCIF, but AMC has actually funded systems improvements on multiple MAF aircraft now, in addition to what they put on the -46. Happy to discuss on SIPR. That said, at the end of the day, all of these aircraft still have the RCS of an aircraft carrier.And the maneuverability of one also... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimNtexas Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 KC-46 boom strike: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/31724/watch-the-boom-on-boeings-troubled-kc-46-tanker-smack-into-an-f-15e Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papajuice77 Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 1 hour ago, JimNtexas said: KC-46 boom strike: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/31724/watch-the-boom-on-boeings-troubled-kc-46-tanker-smack-into-an-f-15e Boeing is just killing it these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhhello Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 I don't see the impact? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breckey Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 I think it's on the canopy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhhello Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 That wing is a lot farther forward from the jet than it looks. I don't think it hit it. Look at the crew's lack of reaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majestik Møøse Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 (edited) There’s also a little blurb in there that the Air Force has to pay $55m to fix Boeing’s boom latching problem because the contract was poorly written. Oh well, just write another check! edit: also at least 4 years until IOC. This is fucked up beyond belief. Edited January 6, 2020 by Majestik Møøse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homestar Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 I'm told that particular AR event must have been during development....-46 only just received the waiver to AR with F-15s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimNtexas Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 If you look at the frame capture at the top of the article you will see where the probe impacts the canopy just above the WSO’s head. This is right at the end of the video. It does not look like it did any damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhhello Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 1 hour ago, JimNtexas said: If you look at the frame capture at the top of the article you will see where the probe impacts the canopy just above the WSO’s head. This is right at the end of the video. It does not look like it did any damage. Stand by that part of the probe surface is too high and forward to impact. Could be wrong though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryleypav Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Just my $0.02, but it looks like the boom is pretty well contracted in this specific video. That might put the wing close enough to the jet. If it was during development as @@Homestar said, might have been testing and different points of boom extension? But idk, I dont really know shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC&W Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Gnarly boom nozzle scrape forward of the receptacle after disconnect, but the flight control surfaces of the boom are well forward and high of the receiver's canopy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sua Sponte Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 On 1/5/2020 at 3:31 PM, papajuice77 said: Boeing is just killing it these days! According to my test friends, that's a early test video. That's why they do test to identify and work those issues out. People have short term memories considering the early -135's had AR pumps that would blow up when they got hot, killing the crew. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosuper Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 (edited) On 1/7/2020 at 5:49 PM, Sua Sponte said: According to my test friends, that's a early test video. That's why they do test to identify and work those issues out. People have short term memories considering the early -135's had AR pumps that would blow up when they got hot, killing the crew. They blew up because they emptied the body tanks and ran those pumps dry and overheated them, plus we were burning highly flammable JP-4 then. MX guys also made the same mistake in Milwaukee. https://insidedefense.com/insider/state-department-clears-potential-24b-kc-46-sale-israel?fbclid=IwAR0uk3LtfhO8BoE92ZJHatvauBH7YGqHOTY9mYXtiUrY-B3oNi3uVzFZSPo I wonder if this is way to backdoor Boeing to have the Israelis figure out all the problems and engineer fixes. You don't here them having problems with their F-35's. CSAF seems to have to lost faith in Boeing anymore since job one is bringing max value for shareholders instead of building the worlds best airliners. https://www.airforcemag.com/goldfein-usaf-wont-use-kc-46-unless-it-has-to/ General Goldfein hates this program, would not want to be the program manager on this. Edited March 5, 2020 by Prosuper content Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clark Griswold Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 On 3/5/2020 at 5:01 PM, Prosuper said: They blew up because they emptied the body tanks and ran those pumps dry and overheated them, plus we were burning highly flammable JP-4 then. MX guys also made the same mistake in Milwaukee. https://insidedefense.com/insider/state-department-clears-potential-24b-kc-46-sale-israel?fbclid=IwAR0uk3LtfhO8BoE92ZJHatvauBH7YGqHOTY9mYXtiUrY-B3oNi3uVzFZSPo I wonder if this is way to backdoor Boeing to have the Israelis figure out all the problems and engineer fixes. You don't here them having problems with their F-35's. CSAF seems to have to lost faith in Boeing anymore since job one is bringing max value for shareholders instead of building the worlds best airliners. https://www.airforcemag.com/goldfein-usaf-wont-use-kc-46-unless-it-has-to/ General Goldfein hates this program, would not want to be the program manager on this. One more thing for the Israelis to fix without the blob of DoD and Boeing to get in the way: The Air Force's Troubled Boeing KC-46 Tankers Leak Fuel Excessively Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin Man Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-boeing-to-get-nearly-900-million-in-withheld-payments-from-air-force.html A catch-22 I guess. Either pay the balance on a delivered deficient product, or risk Boeing going under and not getting any more KC-46 support/airplanes. Although the second option doesn’t seem too terrible with all the issues the plane has right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-boeing-to-get-nearly-900-million-in-withheld-payments-from-air-force.html A catch-22 I guess. Either pay the balance on a delivered deficient product, or risk Boeing going under and not getting any more KC-46 support/airplanes. Although the second option doesn’t seem too terrible with all the issues the plane has right now. Should have gone with Airbus...Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clark Griswold Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 3 hours ago, Tin Man said: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-boeing-to-get-nearly-900-million-in-withheld-payments-from-air-force.html A catch-22 I guess. Either pay the balance on a delivered deficient product, or risk Boeing going under and not getting any more KC-46 support/airplanes. Although the second option doesn’t seem too terrible with all the issues the plane has right now. First option if I were the decision maker. They are a quasi national institution / symbol of American pride, culture, business, capability, etc... letting them go under would not be acceptable, now taking the entire corporate board out to the woodshed at the same time the US Gov saves them and sending them to the house with as little or ideally no bonus or exit compensation is what I'm thinking. Fix the 46, don't buy anymore than you've ordered, change & rebuild Boeing leadership. 3 hours ago, Duck said: Should have gone with Airbus... Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app Partially agree. You can't ignore your own industrial base no matter how stupid, greedy, short sighted and corrupt. Use the legal / buying power of the Fed Gov to enact changes to fix these critical industries. Buying some 45s would be fine but the mainstay of our tanker fleet, negative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoker Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 14 hours ago, Tin Man said: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/02/coronavirus-boeing-to-get-nearly-900-million-in-withheld-payments-from-air-force.html A catch-22 I guess. Either pay the balance on a delivered deficient product, or risk Boeing going under and not getting any more KC-46 support/airplanes. Although the second option doesn’t seem too terrible with all the issues the plane has right now. I'm not normally one for government getting into the private sector... but if we're basically admitting our acquisition strategy is "dump money into the giant hole until it's full", maybe we should just buy Boeing Defense and run it ourselves. Could it be worse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkDiggler Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 23 minutes ago, Stoker said: I'm not normally one for government getting into the private sector... but if we're basically admitting our acquisition strategy is "dump money into the giant hole until it's full", maybe we should just buy Boeing Defense and run it ourselves. Could it be worse? Would you describe AFNET or VPN as unbridled success stories?.... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homestar Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 2 hours ago, Stoker said: maybe we should just buy Boeing Defense so.....nationalize? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NKAWTG Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 4 hours ago, Stoker said: I'm not normally one for government getting into the private sector... but if we're basically admitting our acquisition strategy is "dump money into the giant hole until it's full", maybe we should just buy Boeing Defense and run it ourselves. Could it be worse? Can't we have them declare bankruptcy, wipe out the shareholders and start over. The Uncle Sam backstop creates one heck of a moral hazard and enables quite a bit of self dealing and shady practices. The facilities, equipment and patents will still be there regardless of what the company looks after Chapter 11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurls Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 5 hours ago, Stoker said: I'm not normally one for government getting into the private sector... but if we're basically admitting our acquisition strategy is "dump money into the giant hole until it's full", maybe we should just buy Boeing Defense and run it ourselves. Could it be worse? And we actually dug that hole too, Northrop won the KC-X program until Boeing contested it and the requirements were then "updated" to favor the KC-46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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